EP 16 - Worlds Collide: European Photo Cons

European Photocons are booming — but how do they actually work? In this episode, we sit down with organisers and community leads from Focus Cosplay (France) and Picvetia (Switzerland) to unpack costs vs UK cons, application criteria, location scouting, crew/assistants, scheduling, cancellations, and how to get the most from a photocon weekend.Guests:• Chouchou — Cosplayer & President/Founder of Focus Cosplay (France) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chouchougeekart/• Giulee Cosplayer — Cosplayer & Community Manager, Picvetia (Switzerland) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giulee/• RomaiLee — Photographer & Cosplayer, President/Founder of Picvetia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romai_lee/• Valentin (Valentin Pictures) — French Cosplay Photographer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valentinpictures/Website: https://valentinpictures.com/Photo Con Website & Socials:Focus Cosplay Website: https://focuscosplay.fr/en/Focus Cosplay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_cosplay/PicVetia Website: https://picvetiaevent.ch/en/home/PicVetia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/picvetia/il.Volta Website: https://www.ilvolta.com/en/il.Volta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/il.volta/PixelMania Webiste: https://pixelmania.ovh/PixelMania Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixelmaniaevent/Secret Con Website: https://secretcon.co.uk/Secret Con Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretcon.co.uk/Hosts:Darren - iPhotoUK - Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iphotouk/Tom - Switch Photography - Insta: https://www.instagram.com/switch_8.9/Podcast Socials: LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/CosplayTogsAndAllThingsNerdy?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=adde6ee7-75be-4b74-a829-fb406f933f8cWhat you’ll learn:• How Focus Cosplay & Picvetia recruit, review, and select applicants• What makes European Photocons different from UK conventions (pace, access, cost)• Real-world cost breakdowns and why EU events can be cheaper to attend• Location scouting tactics (travel time, geography, weather, permits)• Why assistants matter (efficiency, safety, comms, gear wrangling)• Handling cancellations, reshuffles, and maximising your time on site• Tools & workflows (yes, Google Sheets can save your weekend)• How to prepare a strong application (diversity, quality, collaboration mindset)Chapters:00:00 — Intro: What is a Photocon?04:05 — Photocon format vs UK comic cons07:45 — Focus Cosplay: origin, growth, how it runs12:06 — Picvetia: the Swiss perspective (rotating regions)16:32 — Costs: UK vs Europe21:04 — Applications: selection & quality/diversity25:19 — Assistants: roles, etiquette, impact43:24 — Getting the most value from a photocon49:55 — Commitment & reliability in applications56:49 — Cancellations: problems → opportunities01:01:51 — Communication that keeps shoots on track01:07:01 — Event reflections & lessons learned01:12:17 — Planning & organising shoots (tools/process)01:18:41 — Assistants (deep dive): safety, logistics, speed01:26:24 — Photographer experiences on the ground01:33:33 — Scheduling to avoid burnout01:43:08 — Locations & logistics (travel time matters)01:48:14 — Geography: picking the right spot01:59:09 — The economics of running a photocon02:05:52 — The future of European PhotoconsIf you enjoyed this, hit Subscribe and drop your questions below — we’ll pull the best ones for a future Q&A on how to prep your portfolio, find assistants, and plan a two-day photocon like a pro.📺 Binge more episodes: youtube.com/@CosplayTogsAndAllThingsNerdy🎧 Audio version on Spotify/feeds: search “Cosplay, Togs & All Things Nerdy”